Date of Award

Spring 2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Psychology

Committee Chairperson

Lauri Hyers, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Donald McCown, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Lauren Brumley, Ph.D.

Abstract

Dramatic changes to everyday life during the COVID-19 pandemic created a “frame shift” (Goffman, 1974), as mundane activities took on new significance among evolving norms. Our qualitative study explores the phenomenological meaning of engaging in activities outside the home during the first two years of the pandemic, through solicited unstructured diaries kept by college students. We selected n=33 diarists who met our inclusion criteria. Across the selected entries from each diary, emic coding revealed four types of activities discussed: taking care of necessities, navigating from A-to-B, socializing, and spending time in nature. While etic coding for valence revealed these activities were slightly more negative than positive, spending time in nature was significantly more positive, taking care of necessities was significantly more negative, and navigating from A-to-B and socializing were mixed in valence. Etic coding for Ekman’s (1992) primary emotions revealed fear was the most common emotion associated with these activities, followed in order by joy, surprise, sadness, anger, and disgust. Joy was most frequently associated with spending time in nature. Fear was most frequently associated with taking care of necessities, and both joy and sadness were equally frequent for socializing. We found anger to be significantly more frequent in women’s than in men’s passages, though few other gender differences emerged. Results are discussed regarding the unique dilemma that COVID-19 posed in activities of daily living and the lessons to be learned.

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